Wine Vessel
11th century BC (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Chinese name for this bronze wine vessel is fangzun. In ancient China metalworkers made a great variety of food and wine containers in bronze for ritual use. Each vessel had a specific name according to its shape and function. The vessels were buried with the dead. When these bronze vessels were accidentally unearthed centuries later they became treasured objects of antiquarian scholars and collectors. The V&A was a pioneer in the study of East Asian metalwork when it bought this object from the Parisian art dealer Siegfried Bing in 1876. At that time historians knew very little about Chinese ritual bronzes.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast bronze |
| Brief description | Met, China, vess/cont/holders |
| Physical description | This bronze wine vessel is called a 'fangzun' in Chinese. In ancient China a great variety of food and wine containers were made in bronze for ritual use. Each vessel was given a specific name according to its shape and function. The vessels were buried with the deceased. When they were accidently unearthed centuries later they became treasured objects of antiquarian scholars and collectors. The Museum was a pioneer in the study of Far Eastern metalwork when it bought this object from the Parisian art dealer Siegfried Bing in 1876, at a time when very little was known about Chinese ritual bronzes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased from Siegfried Bing (Paris), accessioned in 1876. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | The Chinese name for this bronze wine vessel is fangzun. In ancient China metalworkers made a great variety of food and wine containers in bronze for ritual use. Each vessel had a specific name according to its shape and function. The vessels were buried with the dead. When these bronze vessels were accidentally unearthed centuries later they became treasured objects of antiquarian scholars and collectors. The V&A was a pioneer in the study of East Asian metalwork when it bought this object from the Parisian art dealer Siegfried Bing in 1876. At that time historians knew very little about Chinese ritual bronzes. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 195-1876 |
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| Record created | December 19, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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